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Rio2016

Italian Swimmer Rachele Bruni Casually Comes Out By Dedicating Medal to Her Girlfriend

The Olympics is getting queerer and more romantic with every passing day.

Tracy E. Gilchrist

Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP, Executive Producer of Entertainment for the Advocate Channel. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.

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Tracy E. Gilchrist

TracyEGilchrist

August 17 2016 3:41 PM EST

November 08 2024 5:33 AM EST

The 2016 Olympics in Rio is arguably the queerest and most romantic (with several athletes proposing or being proposed to) in the history of the games. Italian distance swimmer Rachele Bruni came out during the Olympics in Rio when she dedicated her silver medal for the 10k race to her “beloved.”

\u201c#GenGraziano"Complimenti @bruni_rachele @Esercito #argento 10km fondo #rio2016."\u201d
— Forze Armate StatoMaggioreDifesa (@Forze Armate StatoMaggioreDifesa) 1471272259

“I dedicate this victory to my family, my coach and my beloved, who have followed and supported me,” Rachele said, according to AfterEllen.

When pressed by the Italian press to clarify if her “beloved” meant Diletta Faina, her girlfriend, she said that it did.

"I've always lived naturally, without problems. I've never done a big coming out," Bruni said, according to Italy's La Stampa, as reported by Daily Dot. "Undoubtedly there are people who have too many prejudices, but I live peacefully. I do not think about the prejudices, I live for myself, for my passion for swimming and for the people who love me."

Prior to the Olympics Rachele and Diletta have posted adorable pictures together on Twitter without proclaiming the status of their relationship.

\u201c@Melisuperstar @LauraPrepon tanto devo vedere se arrivo viva dato che guida @bruni_rachele\u201d
— Diletta Faina (@Diletta Faina) 1457047076

Rachele’s confirming she has a girlfriend makes her the 49th out athlete competing at the Rio Olympics (38 women and 11 men).

While Rachele is an eight-time European champ, according to Outsports, this is her first Olympic medal. Congratulations are in order to Rachele on all fronts!